The Microsoft Bra That Helps You Lose Weight

Talk about a wonder bra: The future of weight loss could lie in your lingerie, according to new research from Microsoft that reveals plans to develop an emotion-sensing bra.

As part of a larger study on finding ways to curb emotional eating, Microsoft scientists tested sensors aimed at tracking people's emotional states by monitoring things like heart and breathing rate, skin temperature, and movement. The sensors alerted participants when their stats signaled a state of heightened arousal—like anger, anxiety, or sadness—acting as a warning that emotional eating might not be far off. In one experiment, the sensor was placed in a bra, which offered a prime location for monitoring heart and breathings rates, and could also be worn unobtrusively by women for long periods of time.

So how well did the wonder-sensing bra work? The bra sensor actually picked up on physiological changes more than 70% of the time.

But before you get too excited, it's unlikely you’ll see an actual weight loss bra on the store rack anytime soon. “The bra sensing system is just one instance of a class of work from a group of Microsoft researchers who are focused on the broader topic of designing devices and services that are sensitive to people’s moods and react accordingly," says a company spokesperson. And while they're continuing the research, he adds, Microsoft has no plans to develop a bra with sensors.

Which might be a good thing, since the chances of an emotion-sensing bra actually helping you lose weight are, well, slim. “There are plenty of things that cue overeating that have nothing to do with emotion, like the holiday season or certain social settings, and a bra wouldn’t warn you about that,” says Tracey LeDoux, PhD, an associate professor at The University of Houston who studies overeating and obesity. Not to mention that some emotions that prompt us to eat, like boredom, don’t cause a heightened state of arousal, and would also go undetected.

For now, we’ll have to be our own best appetite detectives. Focus on eating only when you experience feelings of physical hunger, like a growling stomach or mild lightheadedness. “If you’re wanting to eat in the absence of that, ask yourself what’s going on,” Dr. LeDoux says. “When you find the answer, you can start to take control of your eating.”